Review: Combichrist – 'This Is Where Death Begins'

COMBICHRIST
'This Is Where Death Begins'
OUT OF LINE

Love 'em or hate 'em it is undeniable that Combichrist – the one-time solo project of Icon Of Coil vocalist And LaPlegua – has become a true force of nature. The bands evolution from harsh ebm through to raucous industrial metal has seen equal praise and ire from everyone with an opinion to give. But the truth is Combichrist is here to stay.

The band's eighth album, 'This Is Where Death Begins' sees a new line-up and builds upon the commercial appeal of the band's last outing 'We Love You' to further refine the industrial metal influences that have continued to build in the band over recent years. The end result is a far more metal-based sound that doesn't omit the electronic elements entirely but is a substantial leap from their older dance-flavours. Though they might be more comparable to Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein and Rob Zombie rather than the likes of Suicide Commando these days, open-minded long time fans will still find plenty to enjoy.

Tracks like 'Glitchteeth', 'Exit Eternity', 'Don't Care How You Feel About It', 'Blackened Heart', and 'Homeward' marry the catchiness of Combichrist's electronic prowess while remaining firmly driven by heavy and hard guitar leads. While songs like 'We Are The Plague', 'Skullcrusher', 'Destroy Everything', 'Slakt', and 'Black Tar Dove Part 2' go all out with the metal elements at the forefront of the tracks.

It's a varied track list that effortlessly shifts the emphasis from the guitars, to the drums, to the synths and back again as the album progresses. Their might not be that dance-floor hit anywhere to be found. But as seen by their live performances recently, like Ministry before them, Combichrist has evolved beyond that and it isn't a bad thing.

But if you do still crave that old-school Combichrist sound the band have included a bonus CD – 'History Of Madness' – recorded live at Complex, LA which sees the band tear through sixteen classic cuts such as 'Brain Bypass', 'Adult Content', 'The Kill', 'Industrial Strength', and 'Bullet Fuck' in all their crunchy, nasty and pulsing glory. While the three disc/DVD version includes a more recent live set from last year's performance at Summer Breeze festival. Two very different performances of two very different sides to the band, but both great.

In terms of production the main album is probably the best the band have sounded since the introduction of the guitars with a product that feels like it could compete with the top bands in industrial metal. The live discs are a bit rougher due to the nature of trying to perform, capture and mix a band live. But they're full of energy and passionate and that makes up for the lack of polish.

Fans of Combichrist's earlier sounds may find the more metal direction hard to take, but those who have stuck with their evolution thus far will not be too shocked by this move and will undoubtedly embrace the blend of hard metal and gritty electronics. Either way, Combichrist have crafted a monster here and it will undoubtedly prove to be a notable release in an already enviable discography.  

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Review: Thus Defiled – 'An Unhallowed Legacy'

THUS DEFILED
'An Unhallowed Legacy'
SHADOWFLAME PRODUCTIONS

Between 1992 and 2007 British black metal act Thus Defiled kept the hellfire stoked in the infernal underground scene. A slew of album and EP releases favouring a belligerent and bestial black metal that owed as much to the likes of Venom and Bathory as it did to their contemporaries, saw them gain coveted support slots across Europe.

Yet just as the band looked to be on the threshold of a big push through, silence followed. Fast-forward to 2016 and the Daemonspawn return with the re-release of their classic EPs 'A Darker Beauty' and 'Fire Serpent Dawn', plus a new release on the horizon and Thus Defiled are very much back. What better way to return than with a long-overdue retrospective compilation album pulling together their strongest tracks so far.

The band's career may have been somewhat overshadowed due to their unfortunate hiatus, but the fire still burns brightly on their older material. Songs such as 'Eden Stand's Aflame', 'Of Shadow And Storm', 'Beyond The Seventh Circle Of File', and 'Fire Serpent Dawn' sound utterly bombastic as bludgeoning blastbeats frame scathing guitars and shredded vocals in an unrelenting barrage of thrash-tinged black metal. While earlier cuts 'Ebony Thorns Embrace' and 'A Darker Beauty' are laced with gothic atmospherics and doomy undertones to add a dramatic slant to the brutality.

As most with compilations, the production does vary from track-to-track with noticeable jumps in quality between the band's earlier and later output. But despite a few rough edges here and there the songs hold their own throughout and have stood the test of time pretty well.

'An Unhallowed Legacy' may be a brief introduction to Thus Defiled, but it is nonetheless effective. The songs still sound powerful today and would easily form the core of any live set the band would play today. If you missed them first time round, this is a good primer for what is a very welcome rebirth in the British black metal scene.  

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"She's Alive!": 'Bride of Frankenstein' and Female Subjectivity

Where to begin with 'Bride of Frankenstein'? Well, preferably at the beginning and repeatedly. It remains one of the outstanding contributions to gothic horror cinema and one of the most lucidly realised in any era. It also has several very interesting things to say. Is it far? No. But you may want to bring a coat. 

The key development the film brings is, of course, the addition of the Bride herself - and this is really the key element of the movie. It has it's roots in a sub-plot of Mary Shelley's novel, where it is suggested to Frankenstein that the monster should have a female companion. This is of course expounded at length in the film where it is envisaged that the monster should be built a companion as the next stage in Frankenstein and Pretorius' 'grand collaboration'. The notion of the monster and the Bride as some pseudo-Biblical couple is clear, as is the Bride as some kind of sci-fi-age Eve. In Shelley's novel there were fears that the monster and his (uncreated) companion would breed and populate the world with monsters - which is rather the point.

A certain ambiguity also runs through the film, from the title down - the 'bride of Frankenstein' is, after all, actually Elizabeth and not the Bride-monster, and it is Elizabeth who provides the moral centre of the film. Henry is flaky, vainglorious and prone to destructive bouts of megalomania - it doesn't really take much pressure from Prestorious to get him back in scrubs - and he ignores Elizabeth's not entirely unreasonable advice throughout the film. There is also a strange symmetry to the simultaneous abduction of Elizabeth and the creation of the Bride, introduced (rather pre-emptively) by Pretorius as 'the Bride of Frankenstein!' It's almost as if Frankenstein's old mentor is trying to set him up with his new creation.

But the real core of the film is the attitude of the female characters. Even in the introduction Byron rather blithely suggests that Mary Shelley is 'an angel', prompting the author to reply 'you think so?' - suggesting a certain defiance beneath a polite smile. Such independence is also transplanted to the Bride (both parts, crucially, played by Elsa Lanchester) who gives the whole film it's killer punchline in the last ten minutes.

After her creation for the sole purpose of providing companionship to someone else, with no indication that her creators expected her to have or use any sense of agency, the Bride nonetheless thinks for herself and takes ownership of the only decision she is able to make - her relationship with the monster. And with that decision she chose to be true to herself and reject him.

Which just goes to show that the old sayings are true: you can make a woman out of bits of women you find in graves, but you can't make her fall in love with a man you've built from bits of men you found in graves.

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Denigrata – ‘Kyrie Eleison’ (Music Video)

What can one say about the British Black Metal scene... well that up 'til now I only knew 2 acts from this lil island (well two I liked anyhow), but Denigrata has awoken something even darker than anything I'd heard before.
The new video for 'Kyrie Eleiso'n has some elements that you'd expect from the genre: In monochrome, old man staring at camera (Alan Moore though!) and it's main location is in a forest. What it seems to leave out though are the main tropes you'd expect from a Black Metal music video. The camera isn't nearly shaky enough (although the cuts between band members and bugs will give you a seizure!) it's all in brilliant focus and there is no blood sacrifice going on! What makes this video unique is in it's visuals.

The dirty and cold atmosphere gel well with the bands' look and although many Black Metal acts like to act hard on screen brandishing weapons of various sizes, but these guys they look like they could tear you apart with their bare hands!

In all it's a beautiful video, but with menace and an unsettling tone, which accompanies the music perfectly. Definitely an act to look out for in the near future.

Grab a copy of their début album 'Miss Defunctorum' here: https://denigrata.bandcamp.com/releases

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Review: Cynical Existence – 'Through My Eyes'

CYNICAL EXISTENCE
'Through My Eyes'
SELF-RELEASED

Cynical Existence started out as the solo project of Menschdefekt and Project Rotten's Fredrik Croona and has slowly grown into a full band. Keeping one foot in the harsh ebm and aggrotech of the project's birth, their new release 'Through My Eyes' sees Cynical Existence continue to grow and tweak it's sound with elements of edm, dark electro and metal coming to the fore.

The three-track single builds nicely on from the band's last EP 'Echoes' complimenting the slower, darker pace while injecting the kind of big club-filler feel that a single should have. The title track is a nice mixture of hard beats, catchy synth leads, hard guitars framing Croona's tortured vocals nicely for a heavy but still dance-friendly assault. 'Static' from the afore mentioned EP gets a nice new club edit that sees the originals full dance potential teased out a little more. Finally a remix contribution from Benajmin's Plague again for 'Static' gives the song a completely new twist with darker intro, throbbing bass, hard kicks and still maintaining the metallic guitars for a great mix that will surely find favour on dance floors.

In therms of production the single is nice and solid with an emphasis on the dance-friendly elements of the band's sound. It hasn't moved on too much from 'Echoes' and still doesn't quite have that spit and polish you'll find on a lot of releases these days, but it is gritty and nasty where it needs to be and that attitude is what counts for a lot.

This is a great single with some very nice remixes that builds on the recent EP and shows a band continuing to grow and diversify while still keeping the core appeal of their sound intact. Any fans of harsh ebm or aggrotech will enjoy this.  

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Review: In Death It Ends – 'Servitors'

IN DEATH IT ENDS
'Servitors'
SELF-RELEASED

In Death It Ends is an incredibly prolific project. Wrapped in secrecy and with a minimum of information ever released about any releases the project from former Rosetta Stone and Misery:Lab man Porl King has created a unique monster from parts of classic post-punk and proto-gothic/industrial and melded them with modern witch house elements. The project has kept a steady visual aesthetic through artwork and limited merchandise as well that has reinforced the intrigue amongst fans.

'Servitors' is the latest in a long-line of free releases from IDIE that recently have become a get it while you can offer through the band's website. These releases vary greatly in style with some more experimental, and some more raw and punk in construction. But each one feels valid and complete and not just something release for the sake of it.

The new EP delves into experimental electronics with the five tracks – 'Kritanta', 'Sephtis', 'Morana', 'Valdis', and 'Lefu' – built around a similar formula of a core of steady rhythms and bass lines with retro analogue synthesizers breaking up the the entrancing rhythms. The result is a nice retro flavoured new wave feel that feels dark yet futuristic but characteristically haunting atmospherically.

The production is great as usual. King maintains a wonderfully low-fi feel to the recording but simultaneously gives the album a nice sharp and modern edge with a nice sense of space expressed by every track.

Again this is another solid if short release from King that will appeal to long-time fans as well as anyone into retro-flavoured post-punk with a minimalistic experimental slant. It may be free but it is still a high-quality addition to an already burgeoning back catalogue.  

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Review: Angelspit – 'Cult Of Fake'

ANGELSPIT
'Cult Of Fake'
NEGATIVE GAIN PRODUCTIONS

Angelspit return with their sixth full-length album and first on new label Negative Gain Productions. 'Cult Of Fake' sees Zoog and co return in ambitious form. The album is locked and loaded with dancefloors firmly in its sight. Yet it retains a deceptively complex construction that sees their signature crunchy electropunk style revisit samples used in earlier recordings and working them into a fresher and more modern sound. The lyrical content is as witty and full of punk rock attitude as ever and there are so many potential club tracks to choose from that long-time fans will find this an easy album to get their teeth into.

Songs such as 'Thanks For Your Cooperation', 'Cult Of Fake', 'New Devil', 'Out For Blood', 'Happy Murderland', and 'Disaster Porn' are crammed full of big beats, dirty synth bass, sing-a-long lyrics and nasty leads. While the likes of 'Breath', and 'My Little Blade' delve into real old school 80s territory with 'My Little Blade' particular resembling Fad Gadget to add a different slant to the track list.

The production is tight and fresh, geared up for dance floors. B ut it is also a very listenable record. The lyrics are great and meaningful, and the vocals remain nicely mixed throughout so you still get the full benefit of their impact. That's something that sometimes can get lost in albums with a strong dance agenda but in this case it has balanced well.

'Cult Of Fake' is a great album, easily one of the best Angelspit releases so far. There is a great balance of industrial dance and vehement punk rock attitude balanced out quite nicely across all the tracks. Long-time fans will be able to pick this up with ease and it will undoubtedly still attract new fans through casual listeners purely on the strength of the songwriting and composition at work here. Definitely a must have for industrial fans.  

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Review: Katatonia – 'The Fall Of Hearts'

KATATONIA
'The Fall Of Hearts'
PEACEVILLE RECORDS

Ah the sweet sound of Scandinavian misery. There is something about countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland that just means they can do melancholia so well. Katatonia are one of those bands. For 25 years they have been exploring dark forlorn musical realms. Taking their initial inspiration from the British Doom bands Anathema, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, Sweden's Katatonia quickly became a force to be reckoned with and by the turn of the millennium albums such as 'Viva Emptiness' and 'The Great Cold Distance' saw the band realise their full potential by diversifying and progressing their sound beyond metal and cutting into the heart of woe.

Fast-forward to 2016 and the band's tenth studio album 'The Fall Of Hearts' is upon us. Building upon their consistently strong and affecting recent output, the band continue to blend doom metal with progressive elements, post rock and ethereal atmospheres to reach deep into the soul and tease out the emotions.

Songs such as 'Takeover', 'Serein', 'Decima', 'Sanction', 'Last Song Before The Fade', 'Pale Flag', and 'Passer' are prime examples of the band's songwriting prowess. The vocals of Jonas Renske perfectly framed by driving rhythms, hard guitars and haunting keyboards. The album has a much more pronounced progressive rock sound than recent albums that benefits from the pop veneer of the production without losing its metallic undertones. The overall effect is not dissimilar from the late 90s output of Anathema but darker, harder and more sombre.

The production, as mentioned before, has a nice pop veneer to it and that's nothing to be scoffed at. This is an album that balances metal, with prog rock and rests a crown of ethereal atmospheres upon it for good measure, which is perhaps the band's most accessible to date. Therefore the album needs, and quite rightly gets the high quality modern production it needs to have the songs sounding their absolute best.

The band's run since 2003's 'Viva Emptiness' has been an enviable one with a consistent trend upwards in terms of quality of releases, and 'The Fall Of Hearts' doesn't break this pattern. The progressive elements sound excellent and add a greater dynamic to the band's atmospheric metal steeped in sadness and loss but more complex and free in execution. Long-time fans will not be surprised or disappointed with this.

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Review: Rhombus – 'Purity & Perversion'

RHOMBUS
'Purity & Perversion'
MODELS OWN RECORDS

Two years on from their last full-length album Yorkshire's Rhombus return with a brand new EP of gothic rock anthems more satisfying than a Sunday lunch with all the trimmings. The band have been on an undeniable upward trajectory since the release of 2010's 'Open The Sky' which saw the band firmly consolidate their musical ideas which they continued to expand on the 'Anywhere' EP and 'Here Be Dragons' album over the following years. In that time there has been a lineup change, but this hasn't held them back or limited them. Instead the band push forward their ideas and build on the solid foundation they have been toiling on over the past few years.

'Purity & Perversion' – in particular the Deluxe Version – is a great example of modern guitar orientated gothic rock. The EP was originally released last year and the original tracks have been re-recorded to include the vocals of Alixandrea Corvyn and the track list expanded to include a brand new track as well as a cover of Das Projekt's 'Adrianne Dances' and a remix for good measure. It's enough to make you sweat.

Tracks such as 'Mythos', 'Shimmer', 'Daylight', 'A Moment Today', and 'Written In My Eyes' are prime examples of the band's songwriting ability and how it has continued to grow and expand, becoming more powerful and dynamic while maintaining that core of grooving bass, sharp riffs and the mix of male and female vocals. The band's cover of gothic rockers Das Projekt's 'Adrianne Dances' takes the no frills and somewhat basic gothic rock construction of the original and rebuilds it into a track that is 100% Rhombus.

The production sounds great throughout the album. The band sound huge throughout every song and it is evident that they are learning with every single release. The synthesizers and drums give the songs an epic sense of space while the vocals, bass and guitars cut through the atmosphere to drive the songs forward.

This is another great release from a band that are solidifying their legacy as one of the country's strongest gothic rock acts for a long time. Strong, powerful and most importantly high qualirt, 'Purity & Perversion' is a must have for any fan of gothic rock. Hopefully the band will be back with another full-length release in the near future as well.

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Editorial: May, 2016

I'm giving my editorial over this month just to reflect back on the awesomeness that was Joy Division. At the time of writing this it is the 36^th anniversary of the death of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis. And I thought it would be nice to take stock and look at just why this Mancunian band who were only active long enough to release a couple of albums before having to evolve into an entirely new project are so important to indie music.

Joy Division only released two albums – 1979's 'Unknown Pleasures' and 1980's 'Closer' (which came out after Curtis' death by suicide) – these two releases bridged the anger of punk music with the high art of the post-punk scene and infused the end result with tense, introspective lyrics coloured by post-industrial decay. They were a benchmark for the indie scene that was to come and were a big catalyst for what would become gothic music.

The band's use of rhythmic bass leads, subtle hanging synths, anguished guitars, cavernous sounding drums and Curtis' distinctive paranoid bass-baritone vocals have been referenced by bands ever since. Even as the band reformed and evolved under the moniker of New Order – their change in direction to a more dance-orientated sound would go on to provide the inspiration for the more psychedelic sounds of Madchester and Acid House in the late 80s and early 90s.

There was a purity to the Joy Division formula. Their two albums and the later posthumous release 'Still', which would tie together singles and other unreleased material, were complete, succinct and valid artistic statements that struck a nerve with audiences and critics. There was an undeniable raw passion at play. Both album's forward-thinking style of production courtesy of Martin Hannett have imbued the songs with a timeless quality that puts them in the same regions as Bowie's Berlin trilogy.

Altogether the band recorded 43 songs. Played 120 shows. And were in existence for around 29 months. There are many bands who were their contemporaries who outlasted them and have done a lot more to ensure their legacies in the history of music. But Joy Division have still been absorbed into the very fabric of British alternative music. Even their aesthetics – the stark photography of Anton Corbijn, and the design work of Peter Saville – provided the band with a strong visual hook that is still recognised and reproduced today.

Arguably Ian Curtis' death by suicide and the surviving members choice to leave the Joy Division name behind when regrouping surrounded the band in an alluring and tragic mythology. But mythology is only ever on the surface. The influence of the band has been so great and so long-lasting that it is hard to deny that they were just one of those acts that comes along every now and then that just perfectly sums up everything and expresses what you can't express.
Anyway, that's my meandering thought of the day on the anniversary of Ian Curtis' death.



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